Gameplay Overview

Billy Kane is a long-time King of Fighters character that has been sticking it to his opponents since 1991. Billy simple to play, but has his own executional quirks which may take some time to get used to. He has an awesome set of long-range moves geared for a controlling normal-centric playstyle. Billy excels as a point character but can make use of meter well too as he’s one of the characters to be able to combo after a Climax.

Normals

Standing

st. A: A somewhat slow but decent mid range poke. Has super cancel, but no special cancel.

st. B: A good, fast poke with no cancelability (except MAX). Also hits low!

st. C: Billy’s longest reaching normal that is punishable even on hit. It has no cancels except MAX, but is one of his best whiff punishers if you have the resources.

st. D: A somewhat slow high-hitting anti air kick. For some reason it has a super cancel.

Close

cl. A: Sluggishly slow for a close normal, but it makes it up with big advantage on block.

cl. B: One of Billy’s fastest normals and a primary part in his confirms. Special cancelable, but not super cancelable.

cl. C: Billy hits the opponent with the backend of his cane. Abnormal advantage on block for just a normal, but it’s terribly slow for usual purposes (MAX filler).

cl. D: Hits for slightly more damage than cl.C and faster, but is less advantageous. Quite slow for a close normal, but it’s the go-to close heavy move.

Crouching

cr. A: A nice mid range poke that has super cancel, but no special cancel.

cr. B: A basic crouching light normal that hits low and is a part of his hit confirm. You can special and super cancel the move, but strangely it doesn’t allow for command normals at all.

cr. C: The fastest move that Billy has. It’s an important part of his gameplay in combos and through anti airing. Horizontally the move is lacking but vertically it’s a wall of a normal. Recommended move for MAX combos too since it forces the opponent to stand.

cr. D: A peculiar two-part sweep which you can cancel into specials or command normals before the second hit even on whiff. On hit you may also super, but it serves no purpose as you won’t hit with anything.

Jumping

j. A: A fast linear air-to-air normal. Good horizontal reach.

j. B: Kicks in the same spot as his j.D, but faster. Also less pushback allows you to go for more reliable light hit confirms.

j. C: One of Billy’s core moves, you can control the sky with this and j.CD. It’s possible to hit crouchers, but the angle is too high most of the time.

j. D: Arguably his best jump-in with a decent angle and reach.

Blowback

st. CD: After far C his longest reaching normal. Like most characters, you can whiff cancel it after startup, but only into specials and not command normals.

j. CD: Another one of Billy’s core moves that you can use to control the match. It’s heavy advantage on block. As usual on counter hit it allows for a combo.

Throws

Jigoku Otoshi - (b/f+C) close

Drops the opponent in front of him at midrange with a hard knockdown. It’s possible to jump with j.d+C so that it makes some reversals whiff (eg. Ryo) and hits them down with a counterhit for another hard knockdown.

Ippon Tsuri Nage - (b/f+D) close

Tosses the opponent behind him almost fullscreen away ending with a hard knockdown. No safe jump opportunities outside the corner.

Command Moves

Gai Kaiten-Geri - (f+A)

A two-part spinning hop move that’s safe on block and easy to abuse against people that don’t know Billy. Be careful of the spacing since the second part may whiff depending on how you hit.

Boutakatobi - (f+B)

Billy vaults forward with his cane. This move avoids low fireballs and lows too. Beware, as it only hits standing opponents. On hit you can convert into a super or without resources into f+A/st.B.

Chokka Uchi - (Air) (down + C)

A big part of Billy’s mixup game, this move is terrific for crossups. On aerial counterhit it will spike them down for a hard knockdown, although this feature comes mostly into play when you kill reversals with it.

Special Moves

Senpuu Kou - (Press Rapidly) (A/C)

Pressing any combination of punches repeatedly 4 times will make Billy spin his stick like a windmill. It has pretty much no use in any situation except corner combos. You can prolong this move by tapping more punches which will eventually lead into a finishing pose.

EX: Similar to the normal version, it has no function outside of corner combos, but EX-version is always the same animation with a vacuum effect at the end.

Sansetsu Kon Chuudan Uchi - (hcf+A/C)

Sansetsu Kon is a slow long range poking move with follow-up for more damage. With its heavy recovery, you’re better off using his normals instead this for poking, but it has its uses.

A-version is fast and has no follow-up. It is super cancelable.

C-version is slower and has a follow-up. It’s also possible to super cancel this, but you may want to super cancel the follow-up.

EX: Combined with the speed of the A-version and follow-up possibility of the C-version, the EX Sansetsu Kon is also the most damaging of the three.

∟ Kaen Sansetsu Kon Chuudan Uchi - [hcf+C (*)] , qcf + A/C

Billy explodes the end of his cane with fire. You can only perform this follow-up after C or EX version and in addition the EX follow-up knocks the opponent back at Billy for more (usually just a cr.C).

Kyoushuu Hishou Kon - (dp + B/D)

Although visually it looks like Billy’s reversal, only EX version has invulnerability. On block every version is only slightly minus, but they can be easily punished if the opponent dodges the second part.

B version is a tad faster than the heavy version, but there’s nothing that special about this move.

D version, although slow, gives you a follow-up on landing. Combos from heavy normals fine as long as you’re close enough.

EX: EX DP sees less of a use due to XIV mechanics, but the invulnerability is still there. Like most EX moves, it’s a combination of the normal specials with the same speed as the light, but combo potential of the heavy version.

Suzume Otoshi - (qcb + A/C)

Trademark sniping tool of Billy’s. He shoots his stick out in a 45 degree angle. Note that it will whiff most of the characters standing and is meant just for combos and occasional anti airing.

A version is just faster than the heavy. No super cancel.

C is slow and allows for a super follow-up or some corner combos.

EX: This is the moneymaker EX move, once in a combo it gives Billy a full juggle. You can follow f+B or dp+K with it, it’s that fast.

Super Special Moves

Chou Kaen Senpuu Kon - (qcf~hcb + A/C)

Similar to his windmill special, Billy just imbues his stick with fire and sends it out after a few spins. Mainly a corner combo super and worse of the two even for that. The wheel does destroy fireballs, but it’s too slow to throw out as anti-projectile.

There is only one normal version of this move. The fire Billy sends out reaches about two thirds of the screen. Climax cancel fodder mostly.

Max: Bigger, badder version in which Billy sends the fire all the way fullscreen, which is a moot point since you only want to use this in the corner.

Guren Sakkon - (qcf, qcf + B/D)

Billy does a spinning uppercut or two with his stick and stays in the air for a fiery explosion. This is his main reversal since EX isn’t always at hand. The go-to super for damage, combo potential and invincibility.

There’s only one normal version of this move. A decent reversal super and combo ender.

Max: Longer reaching, bigger and better version of the move.

Climax Super Special Moves

Sakkon Dai Shounetsu - (qcf, qcf + A+C)

Billy sticks his cane on the ground and tells the opponent to go to hell while unleashing the flames up in the air. Plenty of invincibility and depending on the resources, you can even follow this move up with his Guren Sakkon (qcf~qcf+K) super.

Combos

Rush Auto Combo

Meterless: Following his close jab, Billy does a spinkick into flurry of stick-spinning attacks and ends with the heavy version of Sansetsu Kon (hcf+C) which means you can also input the follow-up (just press A until the end). This is actually the most meter-gain and damage outside of heavy combos before you get a stock.

EX: While in MAX mode, finishing the rush combo will give you the EX version of the same super.

0 meter

Anywhere

cr.B, cr.B, cl.B, f+A = 157 dmg

An easy meterless combo with less chance of failure than dp+B

cr.B, cr.B, cl.B > dp+B = 164 dmg

Like said previously, this is a little bit more inconsistent with hits.

cr.B, rush auto combo = 180 dmg

This is the most meter-gain and damage outside heavy combos before you get a stock.

cl.C/cl.D > dp+D, far C = 267/277 dmg

f+B, f+A = 88 dmg

Not much, but good to remember.

Air CH j.CD, (f+B,) f+A/far C = 150-222 dmg

Converting from counterhit j.CDs is generally harder than in XIII, but Billy has a somewhat easy time due to his long range. The lower you are in your jump arc when counterhitting the easier it is to tag with f+B as long as they're in the air too. If you CH them while standing it's better to go for straight f+a/far C.

Corner

cr.B, cr.B, cl.B > dp+B, mash P = ??? dmg

Just a small extension you get after dp+B. You can also super cancel the hits for a little more damage.

1 meter

cr.B, cr.B, cr.A > qcf~qcf+K = 234 dmg

A hitconfirm into super. Not that useful in this game.

f+B, qcf~qcf+K = 224 dmg

Possible projectile counter as f+B travels over a lot of fireballs.

Air CH j.CD, f+B, qcf~qcf+K = 324 dmg

Decent damage for just one bar and a stray air CH. Using the super is also way more consistent than the meterless combos. Omitting f+B leads to inconsistent super hits.

Corner

cl.D [BC] cl.D > dp+BD, qcb+AC, dp+D, cr.C = 436-443 dmg (1000 MAX)

You can switch starter for a light confirm. Point Billy has to do EX Hishou Kon first, later positions you can switch D and EX around if you want to. Variable damage comes from not getting all dp+K hits.

3 meters

4 meters

5 meters

A ‘touch of death’ combo on 900 health class characters (Kula, Athena, King, Mai, Leona). It’s preferable to mash punch with just one button (either will do) as to not activate the EX version. Depending on the hits you will do a few points less damage, which won’t matter against aforementioned characters. The jump-in is necessary to go over 900.

Misc

Billy’s f+B normally whiffs crouchers, but there is a certain situation you will hit them every time. One of the most “producible” situations is far C [BC] MAX cancel into cl.C. For some reason, maybe due to the reeling animation or something, f+B will always hit even a crouching opponent when done like this. This eases up the far C whiff punish as you don’t need to execute a crouching normal from the MAX run.
So, for example you can do: far C [BC], cl.C > f+B, qcb+AC, hcf+A > qcf~qcf+K
Which shouldn’t work but it does. On the whole roster.

Getting the most out of far C MAX cancel though, means you might want to and actually need to learn to MAX run into cr.C as it’ll net you a conversion from further away. This is crucial to his other MAX-confirms too as his close heavy normals are very slow. For far C MAX conversions, there are pretty much three ranges with three combos:

1) far C [BC] cl.C > f+B, qcb+AC, ender of choice

2) far C [BC] cr.C > f+B, qcb+AC, ender of choice

3) far C [BC] hcf+A > qcf~qcf+K

Here’s possibly an outdated video (patch 2.0 introduced some changes to the MAX run speed) on the matter. Initial spacing is from the round start, check the front feet and the lines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDInmPq97Sk
You can eliminate combo #1 entirely if you learn to cr.C from MAX cancel, it’s mainly for convenience.